The gas pressurized street light is a product of many years of organized research for a utilitarian light source that is more efficient than the incandescent lamp. Its success is demonstrated by its almost universal application throughout our society. Few if any municipalities or corporate environments lack any such lights. While more efficient than the incandescent light, the total amount of energy needed to light an average sized city can be staggering. As cities expand and industry grows, more and more lights are employed for both safety and operation purposes. Until recently, the primary focus of advancement and research regarding such lights has been to increase their luminescence and applicability. The amount of energy these lights consume is now, however, becoming more and more of an interest. As the numbers of such lamps grow so does the total energy consumption and so does the need for a more economical and efficient way to operate them.
To help conserve energy many lamps now in use incorporate a dual design. FIG. 1 shows a typical gas pressurized light configuration 100. The light contains a high luminescence lamp 110 and a low luminescence lamp 120. The controller 130 couples the lamps to a transformer 140, which has two power steps 150, one associated with each lamp. A high power setting is coupled with one lamp 110 that produced a high luminescence in order to maximize illumination of an area during periods when more light is needed such as before midnight when the streets may be more crowded. Another combination uses a lower power setting and lamp 120 that produces less luminescence yet requires less energy. Each lamp however is an independent lighting source within the one light.
Street lamps are typically an evacuated bulb of glass enclosing an anode and a cathode. Contained within the glass bulb is also a small amount of a metallic vapor. A voltage applied to the cathode and anode creates an arc potential causing the temperature of the gas to increase. Alternatively, a filament within the glass bulb is heated to raise the gas temperature. Once the gas reaches a threshold temperature, light is emitted. As the temperature of the gas grows and heat is accumulated the color of the light transitions from a dull red or amber to a brilliant orange-yellow or blue depending on the type of metallic vapor within the lamp. The power necessary to initiate the light emitting characteristic of a gas pressurized lamp is not equal to the power necessary to maintain luminescence. A significant amount of power is required to heat the gas to a threshold that will cause the lamp to emit light. However, once the heat has been accumulated and the gas vapor is emitting light, the power necessary to maintain the luminescence is significantly less than that needed to initiate the illumination. Unfortunately, should the temperature of the gas drop below the level required for illumination, luminescence must be reinitiated using a higher than maintenance power levels. Current designs do not address the differences in the power required to initiate luminescence and the power required to maintain luminescence. Accordingly, a significant amount of power is needlessly applied to the lamps to maintain their luminescence after a successful initiation. There is a need, therefore, for a power consumption regulator that overcomes the above problems, as well as providing additional benefits.